WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida woman is suing Uber, claiming the rideshare company allowed a driver with eight prior felony convictions to pick her up on her 21st birthday — leading to her rape in December 2021.
The lawsuit alleges Anthony Oliveras-Rivera sexually assaulted the victim during what should have been a two-mile ride from downtown Tampa to her hotel. Instead, court records show the trip took four hours, during which the complaint says the assault occurred.
"This is really a horrific case. I mean, it's one of the worst I've ever heard of," said Andrea Lewis, the victim's attorney.
Oliveras-Rivera later pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual battery. Court records reveal he had eight prior felony convictions before Uber approved him as a driver, including burglary and robbery charges targeting women.
Records show one aggravated robbery conviction stemmed from multiple armed home invasions in New York, where law enforcement says Oliveras-Rivera used a machine gun to tie up victims and rob them.
Despite this criminal history, a screenshot of Oliveras-Rivera's Uber profile showed he "passed a multi-step safety screen" and was listed as an Uber Pro Platinum driver — the company's highest tier.
"He actually had eight prior felony convictions before Uber chose him to be allowed on the platform and to drive and to pick up young women like my client," Lewis said.
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A recent New York Times investigation found that in 22 states, including Florida, Uber approves drivers convicted of most crimes as long as those convictions are at least seven years old. Oliveras-Rivera's most recent conviction was in 2013.
Lewis claims that even after Uber learned their driver was suspected of rape, Lewis said Oliveras-Riviera remained active on the platform for over a month.
"After Uber learned what their driver was being suspected of raping a passenger, the driver, this criminal, was still permitted to be on the app picking up passengers for over a month," Lewis said.
WPTV reached out to Uber, who told us in a statement:
Sexual assault is a heinous crime, and we are constantly working to improve safety on the platform for all of our users, including by investing in innovative safety features, and robust screening processes. All potential drivers undergo a rigorous background check before their first trip, which reviews driving records and criminal history. We know our work on safety is never done, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to building a platform with safety at its core.
The attorney described the lasting impact on her client.
"These past few years have been just awful for her — severe depression. She's obviously anxious, PTSD. She continues to live with this, and she is coming to terms now, though, with the fact that nothing has changed over all these years," Lewis said.
Lewis is calling on state lawmakers to strengthen background check requirements. Under current Florida law, drivers with a history of violent crimes are not automatically banned for life from rideshare platforms.
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